1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a plasma display apparatus which displays images using a gas discharge and a manufacturing method of the same, and more particularly, to a thin plasma display apparatus and its method of manufacturing.
2. Description of the Related Art
Flat panel display apparatuses such as plasma display apparatuses have large screens with superior characteristics in terms of high-definition, thin size, light weight, and a wide viewing angle. Also, plasma display apparatuses can be manufactured to have large-scale screens more easily in comparison with other flat-panel display apparatuses and thereby are regarded as large-scale flat-panel display apparatuses of the next generation.
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a conventional plasma display apparatus. The conventional plasma display apparatus includes a plasma display panel 30, which displays images using a gas discharge, and a plurality of driving circuit units 60, which drive the plasma display panel 30 through controlling signals. The plasma display panel 30 includes front and rear glass substrates 10, 20, a plurality of discharge cells (not shown) located between the front and rear glass substrates 10, 20 in which discharge is generated, and a plurality of discharge electrodes (not shown) which cross over one another at the discharge cells and cause the discharge to be generated in the discharge cells. The driving circuit units 60 include a plurality of circuit boards in which a plurality of driving integrated circuits (ICs) and a plurality of circuit elements are mounted in order to apply a driving signal to the discharge electrodes. The plasma display panel 30 and the driving circuit units 60 are mounted on and supported by a chassis base 50. Particularly, the front surface of the chassis base 50 supports the plasma display panel 30 and the rear surface of the chassis base 50 supports the driving circuit units 60.
The chassis base 50 having a supporting structure protects the plasma display panel 30, which is conventionally composed of a glass material, from external impact, and provides a surface on which the driving circuit units 60 can be mounted. The chassis base 50 is composed of an aluminum material having superior thermal conductivity and, thereby, rapidly spreads discharge heat generated by the plasma display panel 30 throughout its surface and dissipates the driving heat generated by a plurality of heat generating elements of the driving circuit units 60. Two-sided tapes 45, which provide adhesive means, and a heat-dissipation sheet 40, which facilitates conduction of heat, are included between the plasma display panel 30 and the chassis base 50.
The rear glass substrate 20 and the chassis base 50 are composed of different materials. The rear glass substrate 20 is composed of a glass material in order to provide an insulated discharge environment and the chassis base 50 is composed of an aluminum material, which has superior thermal conductivity for heat dissipation and is also appropriate for grounding. However, the conventional plasma display apparatus as described above requires components such as the two-sided tapes 45 and the heat-dissipation sheet 40 to combine the rear glass substrate 20 and the chassis base 50 structurally and thermally. Further, processes are required to press the rear glass substrate 20 and the chassis base 50 together to combine the two parts.